How to Hack the Holidays

If you're tired of having stressful holidays year after year, it's time to break the cycle. With Christmas quite a few months away, what better time than now to get started with your holiday prep?

The Best Christmas Hacks

Most Christmas stress comes from trying to get everything done before the holidays arrive. With the right holiday hacks, you’ll be able to get ready for Christmas while saving money and your sanity. Keep reading for the best hacks to help you through this Christmas.

1. Create a cardboard wreath.

We all love wreaths during Christmas, but they can be a bit pricey. If you want your own DIY holiday wreath, all you need is a piece of cardboard, evergreen, plastic fruit, and pine cones to complete the look.

2. Make cookie cutter ornaments.

Cookie cutters make the perfect decoration hack as they can double as ornaments. Once you’re done making all your delicious cookies, grab some ribbon to get these tasty tools ready to go on the tree. Since you’re using ribbon rather than glue, they will be safe to reuse for a future batch of cookies.

3. Chill wine in cranberries.

Chilling wine couldn’t be any cooler. In this centerpiece of a decoration hack, you can adorn your chilling wine with frozen cranberries. With these bright red fruits surrounding your favorite wine, you’ll agree that your table couldn’t look any more festive.

4. Make snowflakes with popsicle sticks.

Turning an icy treat into cute snowflakes? Yes, please. With some silver, white, or gold spray paint and a hot glue gun, you’ll be able to create your own adorable snowflakes. Use them to decorate the tree, set up around the house, or hang on the wall.

5. Get a pre-lit tree.

Buying a pre-lit Christmas tree is one of the best hacks that will help you save money this year. While many families have a tradition of bringing in a real Christmas tree each year, this practice is ultimately a waste of money. Though the smell of the Christmas tree is quite pleasant, having to toss your dried up tree out year after year is akin to throwing money away. Keeping this hack in mind will ensure that you can use the same tree again in the coming years.

6. Use family photos as labels.

While you could label all your presents with the traditional “To, From” labels, this hack is a bit more unique. Use photos of your family members to address your presents. With this personal touch, you’ll find that your gift giving means that much more to your loved ones.

7. Use fabric to wrap presents.

This time-saving hack will cut your holiday budget in half. Instead of spending money having someone wrap your presents or buying rolls and rolls of wrapping paper, use scraps of fabric to decorate your presents. Use Christmas colors like reds, greens, gold, and silver to really seal the deal.

8. Buy Christmas lights now.

With Christmas so many months away, now is the time to start stocking up on your Christmas lights. Whether you need to replace your current lights or you’re planning on going big with your displays this year, buying your lights well in advance is one of the best ways to save money on your Christmas decor.

9. Make your tree fuller with garlands.

Whether you have a real tree or an artificial one, you may feel as though it isn’t full enough in some areas. While you could run out and get a new tree, you can simply add some garland to make your tree look fuller. This quick fix is also a great decoration hack if the garland already has string lights wrapped around it.

Keep the Christmas stress at bay this year by saving money and time where it counts. Use these nine holiday hacks to make sure you have a festive and fun holiday with friends and family.